'Catastrophic': Great Barrier Reef hit by its most widespread coral bleaching, study finds

More than 40% of individual corals monitored around One Tree Island reef bleached by heat stress and damaged by flesh-eating diseaseGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastMore than 40% of individual corals monitored around a Great Barrier Reef island were killed last year in the most widespread coral bleaching outbreak to hit the reef system, a study has found.Scientists tracked 462 colonies of corals at One Tree Island in the southern part of the Great Barrier Reef after heat stress began to turn the corals white in early 2024. Researchers said they encountered "catastrophic" scenes at the reef. Continue reading...